Political make-up of Walsall Council under threat ahead of local elections
With local elections fast approaching, Walsall residents can expect a surge in doorstep visits from candidates on their campaign trails hoping to secure votes.
The political control of Walsall Council could change drastically as every single seat across the borough is up for grabs on May 7 this year.
The all-out elections are as a result of ward boundary changes by the Local Government Boundary Commission.
Following the changes, the borough of Walsall will still be divided into 20 wards, each with three councillors.
Walsall Council is currently under the control of the Conservatives who have 31 seats, led by Councillor Mike Bird.
With a majority of just one, the Conservatives could lose its overall control even before the May elections, should another councillor resign between now and then.
Many familiar Conservative faces will not be standing in May after nine councillors were barred by the Aldridge-Brownhills Conservative Association.
Councillor Keith Sears – ward member for Aldridge North and Walsall Wood who recently celebrated 50 years of unbroken service – said the association was handing the local elections "to Reform on a plate".
The deselections led to Councillor Vera Waters quitting the Conservatives, who is one of seven that have left the party over the last 12 months.
Councillor Stacie Elson resigned in May 2025, the reason was never publicly confirmed.
Garry Perry, former leader of the council, quit politics altogether in August 2025, claiming the system had become ‘tone deaf to challenge’.
A month later Councillor Jade Chapman quit the group after attending a Tommy Robinson march in London. She has since joined Advance UK where she is a regional director.
Most recently, Councillors Gaz Ali, Amo Hussain and Izzy Hussain quit as Conservatives in response to the deselections and the ‘divisive rhetoric’ of the national party.
The Labour group in Walsall, led by Councillor Matt Ward, has also dwindled in numbers.
Seven councillors in total quit the group since December 2023 over Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s stance on Israel’s war on Gaza.
A further two councillors, husband and wife Paul and Chris Bott, left in November 2025 over the handling of £20m of government funding in Darlaston.
There are currently nine councillors in the Walsall Independents Group, led by Councillor Aftab Nawaz.
A further seven independent councillors and the authority’s first Reform UK councillor make up the rest of the council.
According to Electoral Calculus (EC), if a general election was held tomorrow, Reform would win in every ward except four across the borough of Walsall.
Aldridge Central and South, Paddock, Pheasey Park Farm and Steetly are the only wards which EC predicts the Conservatives would win.
While the national situation will be the driving force behind many voters heading out on May 7, there are lots of local issues that may have cost votes, or even earned them, for the ruling Tories.
They include the Leather Museum plans, the large reduction of grass cutting across the borough, major regeneration projects and the management of government funding.
Residents who have registered to vote will receive their poll card in the post in early April 2026.
